ITF: World Federation takes next step for Davis Cup reform

The World Federation takes another attempt to reform the traditional Davis Cup. On Monday, the ITF published a plan for a so-called “World Cup of Tennis” of the best 18 nations, which is to be held annually within a week in November from 2019 onwards.

A partnership with the investment group Kosmos, led by Spanish soccer star Gerard Pique, is also expected to generate billions of dollars over the next 25 years. However, it is questionable whether the intention of the ITF board around President David Haggerty (USA) can actually be put into practice.

At the next general meeting in Orlando/Florida in August, the proposal needs a two-thirds majority. In 2017, the plan to host the Davis and Fed Cup finals on neutral ground had already failed before the vote at the association’s conference in Ho Chi Minh City/Vietnam.

The Davis Cup has suffered for years from the rejections of numerous top players. In the tight schedule of the ATP-tour, the national duels hardly find any place, the first round of this year was held one week after the Australian Open. Alexander Zverev (Hamburg), Dominic Thiem (Austria) and David Goffin (Belgium) were the only top 10 players at the start.

“Our vision is to create a great season finale that will be a festival of tennis and entertainment with the world’s best players competing with their nations for the title of Davis Cup champion,”said Haggerty, who called the plan “groundbreaking for the ITF and tennis”.